Submarine vessel



Sept 17, 1935. N. J; MASTORAKIS SUBMARINE VES SEL Filed March 17, 1954 3- Sheets-Sheet l LTLKETILUEE, W72? p 1935. N. .J. MASTORAKIS fl y SUBMARINE VES S EL Filed March 17, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED sures ATENT OFFIE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to submarine vessels and it has for its object to improve the construction thereof to the end that the occupants of the vessel may be assisted and rescued therefrom in the event that the vessel is disabled and sunk.

To these ends I have provided an improved submarine vessel having the peculiar features of construction and operation set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claim at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:

' Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a portion of a submarine vesselco'nstructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 1a is a detail hereinafter referred to. Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a View illustrating the use and operation of the life saving apparatus illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, inclusive. V

The submarine herein illustrated comprises a hull I E! which is interiorly constructed with a normally vertical float compartment H which is closed at its. lower end by a bottom wall l2 and which is the interior of a tubular upright wall it whose upper end is joined to the top wall 4 of the hull H] of the vessel.

Normally the upper end of float chamber l l is closed by a sliding door l5 provided. upon its bottom side with a rack of gearteeth l6 meshing with a gear I]. Gear I1 is rotatably supported by a shaft l8 which in turn is supported by the framework of the vessel. Meshing. with gear H is a pinion I9 fast on a shaft 20 journaled in bearings on the framework of the vessel. This shaft 20, as shown in Fig. 2, has an exposed end portion 2| that is madesquare'in cross section to receive upon it a crank such as" that illustratedby dotted lines at 22 inFig. 1. The crank 2 2.is indicated'in Fig. 1 asapplied to one end of another shaft 23 j'journalled in bearings on the framework of the vessel, said end being also made square in cross section'as at 24 to cooperate with the crank 22. i

To the shaft 23 is fastened or connected one end of a flexible cable 25, Figs. land 2, said cable extending upwardly therefrom around guide pulleys 26 and 2! and thence downwardly within compartment H to the lower portion thereof where its opposite end is connected with a float ejecting carriage or member 28.

As shown in Fig. 3 the float'ejecting member 28 may be an annulus or ring provided with rolls or trucks 29 engaging vertically disposed rails 39 fixed in position within the chamber 1!. These rails 3E maintain the float ejecting member 28 in a horizontal position so that it may serve as a float supporting seat to receive upon it the lower end of a float 3i. 7 The topwall it of the hull I0 is made with a passageway 32, Fig. 1, that is disposed at the upper end of the float chamber H. Normally this passageway 32 is closed by the sliding door 95 but when the latter is slid toward the right, Fig. 1, into an out of the way position While the vessel is submerged the float 3| will be free to rise through the passageway 32 provided the chamber H does not occupy such an inclined position as would prevent the float from rising through passageway 32.

In the event that the submarine is on the bottom and disposed at such an angle on its side, or longitudinally, that the float cannot rise through the passageway 32, then the crank 22 is applied to the shaft 23 and the latter is rotated so as to wind the cable thereon. As the cable is thus wound on to the shaft 23 the float ejecting member 28 is moved toward the passageway 32 pushing the float 3i ahead of 25 it. Thus, if the vessel is in such a position that the float will not of itself rise through the passageway 32, then it may be positively ejected as described.

The float 3! is constructed with a lower cylin- 3o drical body portion that is closed at one end by a bottom wall 33 and. at its upper end by a top wall 34. a

If desired the top wall 34 of the float may be provided at its middle with a check valve 35 35 which provides a normally closed conduit communicating at its lower end with the interior of the cylindrical body portion of the float. This check valve 35 may be constructed the same as the well known pneumatic tire valve and its body i0 is exteriorly threaded above top wall 32 so that it may be coupled to the end of a hose, not shown, through which helium gas under pressure may be delivered into the interior of the cylindrical body portion of the float.

The two walls 33 and 34'of the float are rigidly connected by a metal tube 35 through which extends a flexible cable 31, Fig. 2, containing the wires or conductors of two electric circuits 38 and .38. Normally the greater portion of the cable 37 is wound upon a reel it provided at its opposite ends with trunnions journaled in bearings on the frame 'of the vessel. As shown in Fig. 2 one of these trunnions, '41, is made tubular and the inner end ofthe. cable on reel 5 43 is carried through this tubular trunnion to the exterior of the frame or housing |3 where the two circuits 38 and 39 are separated, one of said circuits being provided with a terminal socket 42 and the other with a terminal socket 43.

The upper end portion of the cable 31 rests in a coil 44 upon the top wall 34 of the body portion of the float.

The upper end of the float 3| is constructed with a superstructure 45 which provides a compartment 46 for the coil 44 and said superstructure is constructed at its upper end with an interiorly threaded circular aperture within which is removably screwed a closure member 41. This aperture at the upper end of the superstructure 45 provides a hand hole through which access may be had to the end portion 44 of cable 31 after removal of closure member 41.

As shown in Fig. 4 the two circuits 38 and 39 are separated at the upper end of the cable 31, the circuit 38 being provided with a terminal plug 42a. and the circuit 39 with a terminal plug 43a.

Within the submarine and in close proximity to the float chamber is a telephone 48 having connected therewith one end of a circuit cable 38 Whose opposite end is provided with a terminal plug 42?) adapted to be engaged with the terminal socket 42, Fig. 2, thereby to complete the telephone circuit as far as the terminal plug 42a, Fig. 4.

Within the submarine and preferably adjacent to telephone 48 are mounted an electric lamp 49, and two electric circuit socket fixtures 50 and 5|. As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, lamp 49 and sockets 53 and 5| are connected in parallel with one end of the conductors of circuit cable 39 and the opposite end of circuit cable 39' is provided with a terminal plug 43b adapted to be engaged with the terminal socket 43, Fig. 2, of circuit cable 31 thereby to complete the circuit for lamp 49 and sockets 53 and 5| as far as the terminal plug 43a of Fig. 4.

The top wall 34 of the float body is constructed with a stuffing box 52 through which the cable 31 extends and this stufiing box prevents leakage from the upper compartment of the float into the lower compartment. So also the bottom wall 33 of the body of the float is constructed with a stuffing box 53 which prevents leakage of water into the body portion of the float.

The joints around the sliding door or closure I5, Figs. 1 and 2, are made water tight by means of suitable packing and therefore when the vessel is submerged there may be so much water pressure upon the outside of the door l5 that the latter cannot be manually opened so long as this pressure exists.

In order to counterbalance this pressure upon the door and render the latter manually operable means is provided for filling the float compartment II with water from the exterior of the vessel. This means includes a conduit 54 whereof one end communicates with the outside water through an aperture 55 formed through the wall or hull of the submarine. The opposite end portion of conduit 54 is disposed within an auxiliary compartment 56 which is in communication with the compartment through a multiplicity of relatively small ports 51. The portion of the conduit 54 that is within the auxiliary compartment 56 is formed with a multiplicity of relatively small outlet perforations 58. In the conduit 54 between the auxiliary compartment 56 and the port 55 is a normally closed shut-off valve 59 which when opened permits water to flow from bottom wall.

the outside through conduit 54, auxiliary compartment 56 and ports 51 into the float compartment Near the top of the float housing i3 is an air outlet port 53 communicating with a pipe or conduit 3| within which is arranged a normally closed shut-off valve 52.

When the vessel is submerged and it is desired to open the door l5, the valves 59 and 52 are first opened and as soon as water starts to discharge from conduit 6| the two valves may be closed. This fills the compartment H with water at the same pressure that exists upon the outside of the door i5 with the result that said door is then free to be manually slid into its retracted position to release the float. When the float is thus released it rises to the surface of the water as shown in Fig. 4, the cable 31 unwinding from the reel 43 as the float rises.

As soon as the occupants of the submarine observe that the trunnion 4|, Fig. 2, is at rest because of the fact that the float has reached the surface of the water, the said trunnion and reel 40, are locked against further rotation by means of two chains 63, Fig. l, which are provided with hooks 64 at their free ends adapted to be engaged with two of the eyes 55 provided at the outer ends of three arms 66 rigidly connected with the trunnion 4|. When both chains 63 are engaged with two of the eyes 65 the trunnion 4| and reel 40 are positively locked against rotation in either direction. In this way the float which is now serving as a signal buoy is held against drifting away from the position of the submarine to the limit of the length of cable 31. The upper portion of the superstructure 45 is square in cross section and upon the outside of each flat wall thereof is fixed a mirror 61. It will therefore be clear that when the float 3! is floating at the surface of the water the mirrors 51 are above the water level and light, particularly sunlight, is reflected therefrom thus producing a visual signal to attract the attention of passing vessels.

When a surface vessel, attracted by the float or buoy 3|, arrives at the latter the closure 41 of the float is removed and the upper end portion of the cable 31 is drawn aboard the surface vessel 68 as indicated in Fig. 4.

The terminal plugs 42a and 42b and terminal socket member 42 of the telephone circuit are made with physical characteristics differing from those of the terminal plugs 43a and 43b and socket 43 of the power and light circuit so that the occupants of the surface vessel can identify each circuit and connect the plug 420. of the telephone circuit with their own telephone equipment and the plug 43a with their own source of current supply. As herein shown the plugs and socket of the telephone circuit are made round exteriorly while the plugs and socket of the light and power circuit are made more or less rectangular exteriorly.

When the plug 43a is connected with a source of current the lamp 49, Fig. 1 is illuminated and is a signal to the occupants of the submarine that 1 a rescue vessel has picked up their cable. Then, as will be clear, the occupants of the two Vessels may communicate with each other by means of the telephone equipment.

In close proximity to the passageway 32 the hull of the submarine is made with an aperture 59 provided at the top of a rectangular compartment 13 constructed with four side walls .and a Within this compartment 10 is arranged a car H having a top wall 12, a bottom wall i3 and four side walls 74.

At the top of the car H the latter is provided upon its exterior with .an outwardly projecting flange 75 which is clamped down tightly against a packing gasket 76 by means of nuts 11 having threaded engagement with exteriorly threaded posts '58 secured to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall '39 of compartment 70, the bottom wall of car ll being formed with apertures through which said posts 78 extend to the interior of the car H.

The car it is provided upon its exterior and at its top with an eye or shackle 8E! adapted to have a hoisting tackle attached thereto.

After establishing communication with the occupants of the submarine a diver may descend to the submarine and be guided to the latter by the cable 3'! which lands him alongside of the shackle 88 to which he may apply the hoisting tackle.

One of the walls of the compartment 10 is made with a doorway 89 provided with a removable door 82 and after receiving instructions to do so the occupants of the submarine, or some of them, remove the door 62 and pass into the car H through a doorway 83 provided in one of the walls of said car. This wall of car it is formed with threaded apertures at to receive bolts 85 provided upon the marginal portion of a second door 85.

When all of the passengers are within the car H the door 86 is fastened in position over the doorway 83 so as to close the latter against the entrance of water after which the nuts I! are removed from the threaded stem 18.

Within the car H is a pipe conduit 8'! one end of which communicates with the outside water and the other end of which communicates with the compartment 70. In this conduit 81 is a normally closed shut-off valve 88 and after placing the door in position to close the doorway 83, valve 38 is opened whereupon water flows from the outside through the conduit 87 into the compartment it.

At the top of car H is a second conduit 89 whereof one end communicates with the compartment ill at the top thereof and the other end with the interior of the car H. In this conduit 89 is a normally closed shut off valve 90 which is opened by the occupants of the car while the compartment it is filling with water so that the air within the compartment 70 may escape from the latter into the car H. As soon as the compartment it is filled with water the valve 96 is closed.

The car it with its occupants is then lifted to the surface and during this time the apertures 9! provided in the bottom wall E3 of the car for the reception of the threaded posts 78 are maintained closed by means of caps screwed on to exteriorly threaded bosses 92 surrounding the apertures 9!. One of these caps is shown in cross section at 93 in Fig. 1a.

If more than one trip of the car H is necessary to remove the occupants of the submarine then the door 82 occupies its closed position while the car H is being raised and lowered. When the car is loaded for the last trip and there is no occupant of the submarine to close the doorway SI,

this may be accomplished by the occupants of the car ll by means of a sliding panel 94 which is slid by them into position over the doorway 8!. It will be understood that each time the car H is returned to the submarine for additional passengers it is lowered into the compartment 79 after which the caps 93 are removed from the bosses $2 and the nuts '57 temporarily substituted.

Each return trip may be carried out with a single occupant within the car 'H who will perform the operations necessary for reloading the car.

What I claim is:

A submarine vessel comprising a hull constructed with a normally vertical float-compartment having a float exit at its top; a normally closed adjustable door for said exit; means accessible and operable from within said vessel \for shifting said door into an open position; a float confined within said compartment by said door, said float being constructed with a relatively small chamber at its upper end, with a hand hole through which access may be had to said chamber, with a normally closed but manually removable closure for said hand-hole and with a' relatively large air-tight chamber at its lower end; a cable including circuit conductors, said cable having an intermediate portion thereof fastened to said float so as to provide a relatively short free upper end portion normally housed within said relatively small chamber and also a longer lower end portion; a circuit terminal coupling member attached to the upper ends of said conductors, and a reel rotatably supported within said float compartment independently of said float and having a tubular supporting trunnion whereof one end communicates with said float compartmentand the opposite end with the interior of the vessel outside of said float compartment, the longer lower end portion of said cable being coiled upon said reel from which coil its inner end extends through said trunnion to the exterior of said compartment so that when said float is released and rises to the surface of the water the lower extremity of said cable is free to rotate with said reel as the cable is unwound from the latter.

NICHOLAS JOHN MASTORAKIS. 

